Jul 20, 2026

PLYMOUTH, Mass. (Court TV) — In the moments before jury selection began in Lindsay Clancy’s murder trial, her defense team clashed with prosecutors in a battle over expert witnesses.

Lindsay Clancy appears in court on July 20, 2026. (Gregory Derr, The Patriot Ledger)

Clancy, 35, is charged with murdering her three young children; she has pleaded not guilty to the crimes, arguing that while she physically killed the victims, she was in the throes of postpartum psychosis and not responsible for her behavior.

As jurors gathered in the Plymouth County courthouse on Monday morning, a last-minute motions hearing unfolded. Prosecutors had asked the judge to bar the defense from calling expert witnesses who had not been previously disclosed. Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Sprague said that multiple names appearing on the latest defense witness list were added late and without any reports or documentation detailing their proposed testimony.

“Defense counsel is an experienced attorney who understands the rules,” Sprague said. “[P]roviding these names at the last minute, a week and a half before trial, was a strategic and intentional act to surprise us with these witnesses and not allow us to be prepared for them.”

Clancy’s attorney, Kevin Reddington, countered that the prosecutor’s office had assigned “like, 39 people” to work on the case and suggested they shouldn’t need much time to accommodate his witnesses. One witness listed, forensic pathologist Dr. Elizabeth Laposata, previously testified in Karen Read’s criminal trials, and Reddington suggested the frequency with which she testifies in court should make it easy for prosecutors to cross-examine her. “I don’t know if I’m gonna call her or not,” Reddington said. “It depends on what the government argues in their opening that opens the door for me to slam them with Dr. Laposata.”

“In terms of Laposata, yes, I am familiar with her,” Sprague said. “And often in cases where she testifies for the defense, she files a report at the last minute, giving prosecution little to no time to prepare for what she’s going to testify to.”

Judge William Sullivan said he would grant prosecutors’ request to bar the testimony from any expert witnesses who had not previously been identified, but said that the defense was welcome to raise the issue again if one of the prosecution’s witnesses’ testimony should change drastically in unexpected fashion.

Expert witnesses are likely to become a key part of the case for the jury, as Clancy’s attorney has already said that he is willing to stipulate to his client’s involvement in her children’s deaths. But prosecutors say Clancy’s actions were intentional and not the result of any mental illness, citing her husband’s 911 call as part of their planned case.

Sullivan has said he is looking to empanel 18 jurors for the trial, which is expected to span approximately three weeks.

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